The Labor enquirer., 1887-07-02
THE NEW RELIGION.
IL lsNot Fire Brand but Signal Light
20 Labor's Hests.

The Henry George and DR.. McGlynn
agitation in New York Is marking an era
In the reformation Of America. II is de-
veloping wonderful strength and bringing
forth some most vital phases Of the agita-
tion.
Since the Rev. DR.. McGlynn has stepped
down from his priestly Office, and cham
pioned the vulgar cause Of the common
people; since he has so boldly declared for
the "Cross of the new Crusade" for
movement commonly called secular, the
accusation has gone forth that he has tar
nished the sacredness Of his priestly Office,
the question has arisen, is 1t proper for
priest OF God to thus NEEDLE in worldly
thingsS The inquiry has been pushed
further. II Is claimed that his agitation
is really sacrilegious.
The deposed priest asserts that poverty
Is the crime Of crimes. He attributes to
II and TO It's Accomplishments the
greater part Of all ignorance, vice and sin.
This arouses host Of capitalistic teachers
and theologians. They assert that pow
erty is divine institution; that 1t is the
normal condition Of man. They claim
the All.wise Creator ordained the condi-
tion and sanctiAed IT, They would damn
the Anti-Poverty Society for Its unhal-
lowed interference with the divinely
established order Of things.
That men claiming to be intelligent, in
decd, claiming the name OF cultured
classes" should seriously make such an
argument is one Of the noteworthy signs
of the times. II emphasizes the fact that
they have been driven from pillar to post
routed from every position by the
piercing logic and unanswerable argu.
ments Of reform.
Now, like Assassin Guiteau, they wish to
saddle the whole thing on God Al
mighty. They have "high' authority
for so doing. Political economists
of Malthusian type give them the
cue, and they cling to 1t with the ten
acity OF death. The Rev. DR.. McGlynn
that started the crusade against these in
fdels in theological garb, these heathens
that make the Almighty Father a demon Of
hate, regular moloch of hell. And now
regular stampede Of the lay and clergi-
cal followers OF the meek and lowly One
are rallying under this new standard to
protest against such blasphemy as max
ing our Almighty Father guilty Of the
crime OF poverty.
Protestant and Catholic are clasping
hands to battle for the right, for the abo-
lition OF poverty and the honor Of their
God. Every sacred reccollection Of
Christ clusters around the memory Of the
poor and outcast. Christ's field Of labor
was among the outcast, the disinherited.
His path led to the slums, to self-sacri-
fice, 10 social ostracism, TO martyrs
death. The first crusades we're to rescue
the land, Palestine, where Christ labored,
from the sacrilegious Turks.
The cross OF the new crusade Is raised
tolfescue the spiritual field, the people,
where Christ labored, from the inadel
mammon aend. All hail this new relig-
ious enthusiasm!
The poet, Campbell, has aptly stated
the problem in his pleasures Of Hope:"
Eternal Nature! when thy giant hand
Had heaved tho floods, and fixed the tremb-
ling land,
when life sprang startled at thy plastic call.
Endless her forms, and man the lord OF all!
Say, was that lordly form inspired by thee,
To wear eternal chains and bow the knee:
Was man ordained the slave OF man TO toll,
Yoked with the brutes and fettered to the
soils
Weighed In n tyrants balance with his gold'
No! Nature stamped US In heavenly mould!
She bade no wretch his thankless labor urge,
Nor, trembling, take the pittance and the
scourge!
No homeless iibyan. on the stormy deep,
To call upon his country's name and weep!"
II. G. vRooMAS.